Cell Phone reception questions...

[Meractik]

First off I would like to know if someone can shine some light on the whole Straight Talk cellphone stuff I have been reading on the internet. What carrier do they operate on? Their website states that they do not roam at all. Lots of forums about their phones I can read online though mention that they use Verizon network, while some state they operate off Sprint, and others claim AT&T. I have used all of these networks and I found Verizon to have the best coverage for the areas I visit.

Regardless of the above I have been a straight talk customer for 2 years running now and am very satisfied. I enjoy not being held down to a contract. I have used mostly their really cheapy phones and am now having problems with my phone (LG 290C) as I have dropped it a few times and the sliding capability is malfunctioning when I use it, and the phone randomly shuts off.

I am on their website researching new phones so that I can replace mine when it officially kicks the bucket and I found this coverage area map ( http://www.straighttalk.com/Coverage ) in reference to their new Android phones vice non-android coverage areas. The differences are pretty amazing and I was wondering if someone could explain to me why such differences in coverage availability?

Is it because of the use of new 3G platform with their new phones? Is this not an issue with the older CDMA phones? does all of this really play a role in coverage reliability? previously I thought that the aspect behind CDMA, GSM, 3G etc was just a way to facilitate receiving phone data but not in availability of coverage..... Thoughts?

 

[pm]

Tracfone owns Straight Talk and they actually do use all three networks - so people are right, they are on Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. Which network you use depends on which phone you are using - a GSM phone would use AT&T and the CDMA phones use Sprint or Verizon's towers depending on the model.

I'm not sure of the reasons behind the coverage differences, but I agree with you that the reason is likely that they probably don't have roaming/tower contracts with the carriers to use 3G data. I think it's a business reason and not a technical one.

Here's the Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TracFone_Wireless#Straight_Talk

Straight Talk

Straight Talk is one of TracFone's newest brands. The Straight Talk brand offers five different value-based 30-day rate plans: a $30 limited plan, and a $45 Unlimited text, web and minutes plan, a $135 three-month Unlimited plan, a $270 six-month Unlimited plan, and a $540 one year Unlimited plan. Straight Talk is a Mobile Virtual Network operator (MVNO) offering both CDMA and GSM support. The CDMA side of the network uses Verizon's or Sprint's CDMA 1xRTT wireless networks, which was introduced in 2001 and is said to deliver between 40 and 60 kb/s to customers,[8] while the GSM side makes use of either T-Mobile's or AT&T's GSM networks.
Fourteen phones are available for use with Straight Talk: the LG 100C, LG 200C, LG 220C, LG 290C, LG 420G, LG 620G, Motorola W385, Motorola RAZR V3A, Samsung R451C, Samsung T401G, Samsung T404G, Samsung R355C, Samsung Finesse R810C, Nokia E71, and Nokia Surge (6790). There are exceptions to 1xRTT-only service. The Finesse R810C, an EV-DO-capable handset, performs at higher speeds where such coverage is available. The Nokia E71 and Nokia Surge (6790) are the first smartphones to be offered by Straight Talk. They offer 3G coverage through AT&T. Users of these phones are required to purchase the $45/30 day Unlimited plan. All other phones can be use with either the $45 Unlimited plan or the $30 "All You Need" plan which provides 1000 minutes, 1000 texts, free 411 and 30MB of data. All plans provide a service period of 30 days.

 

[Meractik]

Thanks pm, that is a lot of great information..... and to think it did not dawn on me to search on wikipedia, lol. Do you know of a way to determine which network (sprint, at&t, verizon) their phones use which network prior to purchasing? I would like to stick to verizon if possible.... You mention that the CDMA phones are the ones using sprint and verizon but is there a way to tell which CDMA modeled phones use which carrier?

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

I'm pretty sure Verizon roams on sprint and vice versa. So I would assume you would be using both. Unless their bands aren't compatible.

 

[pm]

Their bands are compatible, but the companies roaming agreements sometimes aren't.

But, yeah, I think I worded my post incorrectly. I think a Straightalk CDMA phone could roam on either Sprint or Verizon. I'm not sure. I tried Googling a few phones - like the Samsung Finesse - and it looks like it uses Verizon at least some of the time.

Meractik, there's a return policy on the phones, you could just try them and see what your coverage is like. You might even be able to look in some of the "about" menus and figure out what network you are using.